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Siemens Healthineers, Fast-Track Diagnostics Form Strategic MDx Alliance

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Siemens Healthineers said today that it has formed a strategic alliance to add a range of CE-marked kits and multi-syndromic panels from Fast-track Diagnostics (FTD) to its own Versant kPCR Molecular System menu.

Siemens said that the FTD kits and panels not only increase the breadth of its molecular testing solution, but also ensure "leading-edge performance from extraction through detection" and increase workflow efficiency for molecular labs of all sizes.

Additional terms were not disclosed.

FTD's menu covers a range of medical disorders that include childhood infections and respiratory, gastroenteritis, and central nervous system conditions.

Fernando Beils, head of molecular diagnostics for Siemens Healthineers, said in a statement that Siemens continues to strengthen and broaden its molecular system "by offering a comprehensive, scalable solution for accurate diagnosis and monitoring to our customers worldwide through our alliance with Fast-track Diagnostics."

The partnership between Siemens and FTD "means laboratories can now diagnose nearly any infectious disease in one workflow," added FTD CEO Bill Carman.

An increasing push toward a value-based healthcare philosophy relies heavily on increased productivity and streamlined workflows, Siemens noted, adding that offering customers the option of a single, consolidated system with a broad menu and a virtually open platform enables healthcare providers in meeting those needs.

Siemens also said that its Versant kPCR Molecular System is already established in HIV and hepatitis molecular testing markets, and that it "will now feature over 75 assays, consolidating testing for the infectious disease spectrum in a single molecular ecosystem."

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